With frequent new calls to boycott Company A or support Brand B, some businesses enter the fray gambling that their customers will support their view. Others tiptoe to avoid a backlash from shoppers on either side.

For many shoppers, factors like price and convenience still rule. Blake Wilhelm of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, says he tries to balance cost and quality.

For others, it's more complicated. Pennsylvania resident Stormy Patterson makes a distinction between word and deed. She's not bothered by executives expressing support for a politician, more by how a company behaves toward customers or employees.